Cinders of Affection
by Kyla45
Summary: A precious liquid, a poison dear -- because it is made from our blood, our health, our sleep, and two-thirds of our love. Oneshot. Sasuke & Naruto


**C**i**n**d**e**r**s** o**f** A**f**f**e**c**t**i**o**n

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_"Hatreds are the cinders of affection_."

-Walter Raleigh

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" Oh," I said, I bit bemused. I felt the impact of the words and of everything, and yet, I didn't.

I felt as though I couldn't do anything, but my body was moving better than it ever had.

I felt as if I were watching myself from some secret watch tower as I jumped into the air, as I quickly moved out of the way of death.

My body was agile as it swivelled, pivoted and soared, all gracefully and effortlessly. I was soaring too, oh, I was flying.

My face was so eerie. It was devoid of anything. I looked like not a breath passed through my lips.

The thoughts I thought were not thoughts. I could not think. I could watch and somewhere within the deepest part of my subconscious, I could register what was happening. But I could not think.

I watched as I continued to dodge my attacker, as he continued to try and do me harm.

Within seconds, I was back in my own body, it seemed. My eyes were my own. And I never stopped moving with ease, even though I was numb all over.

My lips moved. For some silly reason, I forgot what I said immediately.

He snarled at me then. Intense with the furry and emotion thick in his voice, he snarled at _me_.

" Because you are the person I hate most in this life!" Even though he was snarling, there was coldness in his fiery rage. There was hatred as dark as death.

And I could only watch now, as a thought drifted lazily across my empty mind. _Why should he hate me?_

Hate? Me? Him? My head started to pound, but I kept up the endless movement of my body. I knew I could not let him hurt me, that was not allowed. But my head, now harshly yelling the words he had just spoken, was pounding.

And then, in a blinding instant, I could think. My mind filled and was not empty.

I experienced then the regaining of my bearings, the dreary and unwanted gathering of the torn moments before. And I was scared. Scared because I had never receded into the caverns of forced memory-loss to escape a situation.

I swiftly jumped back, the wind blowing my hair forward, the wind pushing against my body like it was some sort of wall. I went through the wall easily, and enjoyed the sensation of resisting it.

My feet caused dirt to be heaved into the air in puffs of smoke, and I stared with some human characteristics at my enemy. My face took on something like an emotion.

" Why?" I asked calmly, glad I was able to hear and remember what I had spoken. My voice was calm, even though I was scared. I knew I could not let him inside me, let him know how I lived. It was simply not allowed.

" Why," I repeated. " Do you hate me?" My eyes gazed unflinchingly at his heated glare.

" Why even ask?" he countered with disdain, sniffing almost regally at me with disgust. " Why don't you think about it _real_ hard for a second?"

I looked at him, somewhat incredulously. I did what I was told. I thought about it. My brain was no longer empty, and I could think quite properly. And I could not summon any reason strong enough for him to hate me.

A sharp sort of pain rippled in my chest, causing me to become slightly short of breath. Or rather, it felt like I could no longer breathe. It felt like my rib cage had broken and I couldn't breathe.

I glanced fleetingly at him, and my calmness melted away into oblivion. My brow furrowed and I bared my sharp fangs threateningly. I gritted my teeth and a furious growl escaped me.

" You pathetic wretch," he spat then, running at me. I howled, sounding like I was in some great amount of pain, as I charged towards him, extending my arm and driving it into his abdomen forcefully.

He gasped, and I drunk in his bent over stature of pain with deadly eyes. _He_ could not hurt me, it was not allowed. And he would pay, oh, he would pay.

I flung my fists at him, and laughed cruelly at his failed attempts to block me. Oh, he wouldn't hurt me.

I screamed as I hit him again and again, my fists strong and impacting. My eyes were wide as I let my rage consume me. I screamed, I cried in anger, and I did not relinquish my attacks.

" How dare you?" I hissed, my voice dangerous. " How dare you?!" I screamed this time, my fangs elongating.

I dodged a flimsy attack thrown my way, and coming up from my duck, I threw him into the air with a single hit backed with everything I possessed. And I possessed a lot.

He landed hard, his back arching as crimson liquid sputtered from his mouth. He rolled over, gasping for air.

I took pleasure in examining the bruises already blossoming all over his body, the blood that leaked here and there and marred his tanned skin.

When I walked over to him and kicked him hard, he looked up at me with the same hatred. Even in defeat.

My expression darkened and now it was _my_ turn to snarl at him. My lips pulled back in a grimace, exposing my sharp teeth. I snarled, low and feral and delivered a final blow simply for the sake of releasing a smidgen of my rage. I relished in his pained expression and grunting breaths.

" You," I breathed heavily, even though I had not exerted myself physically at all. " Are the pathetic one, and you've always held my hatred," I whispered in a low wisp of breath.

As I turned my back on him, walking steadily away, I heard his weak voice, still infused with all his power.

" Did you know...Sasuke...that you have to _care_ to hate?"

My body tensed for a moment. And I spared him, the blond, blue-eyed angel that I had once considered my friend, a falter in my step, then, I spread my wings and flew away.

Miles and miles away I landed in the heart within the expanse of dark forest. I took some slow steps forward.

" Oh." The sound left my throat without my knowing it.

Naruto. He was the angel with gray wings and his hate, and I was the angel with my dark wings and hatred.

And were we destined then, to be locked in a eternal dance of hatred for the rest of our lives? After everything we'd gone through, after how much we'd changed?

Us demonic angels with fangs and colored wings? Born to eventual hatred?

" Oh," and this time, the word sounded slightly choked.

Care to hate?

" Oh...oh...oh..." My body shook and I fisted my hair until it hurt my scalp.

Or hate to care?

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SASUKE POV! Woo. Uh, yeah, slightly AUish and OOC and strange...and...OKAY. I don't know where this came from. I've been in the slumps, unable to write anything, and this is the first thing I've been able to write in ages. I like to think that there's lots of symbolism here, lots of 'read-between-the-lines-depth' but...I really am doubting my sanity at this point.

-sigh-

Please, if you have the time, tell me what you thought of this? I don't know if I'm able to write in this style at all. Reviews are love. On that note;

-Mucho love


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